Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1887-02-02
ABSINTHE SLAVES.
Deplorable Effect OF q Most
Perm icious Stimulant.
Ingredients Of the Drug, People who
Take it, 1hs Result Produced,

IuhU iL J. 10 IlUoulI 1 lUuuUCu
Absinthc is supposed to be made in
France and Switzerland, and this sup
position is based upon the fact that
Somebody ct fills" appears amid lot of
French on the label, with the name
Paris and n rcd seal with French in
scription commenting tho cork. Swiss
absnthc is said to be the best, but
whether any of the good kind ever goes
to this country is unknown. The alb
sinthc is made by pounding up the
leaves and Towering tops of different
species of wormwocd and maccrating
them in alcohol. After soaking, the
mixture is distilled, little anisc oil is
added, and the emerald liquor obtained
is the real absinthc. When tumcric and
indigo and blue vitriol enter into its
composition, rs it docs in authorizations,
then it is really II splendid drink. Any
man who would drink it would surely
put an enemy into his mouth to steal
away his brains, but it would be only n
petty larceny, after all.
Powerful as astimulant, it has its cul-
inmates in terrible reaction, and like
every drug, it is rcsortcd to, to
cure the evil it has caused, and
eventually cnsOvcs the man or woman
who toys with it too freely. OF course
all men do not become slaves to it, rs
all men do not become opium fiends who
shit" the pipe But it's bad thing TO
be accustomed to. The drip is the
fashionable way to drink it, but fashion
becomes forgotten by the absinthc slave
and he soon drifts into taking it un-
diluted and in enormous doses just as
the morphine victim becomes accustomed
to taking enough of the sleepy drug to
kill half dozen men. Its terrible re-
suits have never become, in this city,
matter of scientific observation or of
restrictive legislation, and, judging
from the drinking pcculoritics of Amcri-
cans, they never will be.
In the eastern cities, however, i'm
ported victims of the drug arc often
seen, AID in France, Italy and Switzcr-
land it is regarded the greatest curse.
Its use in the army and navy of France
is prohibited by law. 1t came into
notice at the time Of the Algerian war
from 1914 TO 1917, when it was recon-
mcndcd for use by The soldiers in their
liquor as q preventive OF fever. 1t
developed in few years that it was
running the army. Observation by
medical men resulted in discoveries that
deadly as it was when pure, it was rem
dcrcd even more so by authorizations. Its
use in the first place, impaired the di-
gcstivc organs and spoiled the appetite.
Asa necessary consequence, slccplcssncss
followed, with all the terrible torture
that that implies. The minds of the alb
sinthc ticnds became derangcd; they saw
beautiful visions, such as it is alleged
the hashecsh eaters only know. They be-
came exalted and pitched to n high key,
and then there came the most terrible
depression, ending often in suicide and
ofteDcr still in imbccility. Loss of brain
and nerve power degeneration of the
muscles and all the moral pcrvcrsions
springing thcrelrom were among its CT
'ccts.
Physical decay Of the most disgust
ing kind was noticed in the victims, and
they had to be kept from public view.
These in one generation were not enough, |
but like the curse of the Almighty the !
terrible results Of the drink extended to
succeeding generations in imbccility,
distortion and diseases most terrible. On |
this discovery the army and navy were
forbidden to use the liquor, but the
people were left to drink it, and in all
the big cities to-day the absinthc fiend
is as pGomiscuous as the opium, NOR
phinc and chloral victims are in America
Globe Democrat.